Leslie Jordan

A ubiquitous character actor small in stature (4'11") but large on chreating characters with eccentric personality quirks, Leslie Jordan is best known for his TV guest spots, typically playing unforge...
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Tri-Star Pictures
You wouldn't expect a big 3D concert movie to be an introspective experience, but Morgan Spurlock has decided to take on the challenge. While there have been other big pop-star concert films, with Spurlock's One Direction: This Is Us, the director seeks to make a "docbuseter" that delivers the bombastic concert experience while also delving into the more personal side of the band. It's easy to forget that that outside of the bright lights and boy band hysteria, One Direction is made up of five normal boys thrust into a life that is anything but. Spurlock wanted to make a film that leaves all of the rumors, scandal, and relationship drama on the cutting room floor and present a portrait of the boys as at its most simple and its most personal. Morgan is trying not only to document the phenomenon but to understand it and explain it to the uninitiated. But why would a documentary filmmaker as celebrated as Spurlock take on a project like the One Direction movie? Something that is, admittedly, pretty far outside of his wheelhouse. Spurlock told fans at a press conference for the film, "I was thrilled to get to make this movie. It's not often that you get the chance to make a 'docbuster.' When we made The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, we said the goal of that movie was to make a documentary blockbuster film that would go outside the realm of the typical documentary. And this is a docbuster. This is the closest thing to a big budget blockbuster film that you can make that is actually a true story, so as a documentary filmmaker, things like this are really few and far between. To get to have access to a story like this with a fan base that is already so passionate and dedicated, with a studio, with technology you wouldn’t normally get to use. It was a dream come true."
Spurlock wanted to create a portrait of the band, but in order to do that, he had to confront his own preconcieved notions of the boys first. He says, "The biggest thing is that when you look at a band like this, you can't help but think that one of them has got to be a diva. These guys, they've had so much happen to them so quickly, they've got to take it for granted. What I was pleasantly shocked and surprised by was how completely normal these guys were. These are five ordinary guys who were thrust into a massively extraordinary situation and have continued to keep their wits about them. They've stayed normal. They've stayed the same guys that they were when it all began, and a lot of that is for a couple reasons. One is, I think, that these five guys have each other. Each of these guys has four other people who knows exactly what it's like to be in this band every single day. They have somebody who they can vent to, someone they can talk to, someone they can talk about the pressure, the strain, that they can deal with this collectively. They have four other guys who are there to knock them down a peg."
The director continues: "Somebody who's there to keep them in check. Those checks and balances in a band like this is irreplaceable versus being a solo artist. The biggest thing also is, one of the things that I loved in the movie is when we got to go home and visit their families because these guys come from great families. They come from great homes. That’s one of those things you can’t change, the humility that was instilled in them by their parents and where they come form, the humblest of humble beginnings I think made them who they ultimately are today."
Once he had a better understanding of his subject, Spurlock needed to figure out how you find intamcy in a room filled with boom mics and camera men. The filmmaker decided that in order to get the truest picture of these boys and this band, he needed to be a fly on the wall and document the group with as little intrusion as possible. "The goal for me was to have as small of an impact on their lives while we were shooting most of the behind the scenes doc footage as possible so that it would be intimate. You would get the real sense of access. There were times when we were filming where it was literally just me holding a camera. There was nobody else in the room or around, and I think those types of moments are really important because it does create a one to one relationship that you feel in the audience. You really get a sense of that. In this movie, unlike a lot of the other films that have come before it, I think you really do feel like you have access to these five guys. You have really intimate moments where you really get a sense of that honesty coming through. I think it comes from this minimal impact we have."
Spurlock not only wished to understand the band, but to understand its fans as well. The kind of sheer fandom that follows One Direction has earned mockery from those not involved in the culture. It's easy to look upon the droves of teenaged fans and dismiss their obssesions as immature, but Spurlock defends the millions of One Direction devotees and rejects the stereotypes that surround them. "Let's put it in context. Let's compare this to guys who love football teams. Let's compare this to guys who love not just American football, but soccer. The same guys who will put on jerseys and get tattoos of the teams' logos on their arms, who will paint their face and go to a football game on a Saturday and scream for Tom Brady. But these girls are [seen as] freaks," says Spurlock. "Let's just put this into context for a second as to what passionate fandom means." It's easy to distill all One Direction fandom into simple hormone-induced hysteria, but Spurlock insists that these fans are simply searching for a place to belong. "For me, it's people who are really finding a tribe. They are finding a community in support and love of this thing. One Direction fans will lash out against people who don't believe in the things that they love, as will Patriot fans talk s**t about Giants fans, or as a Charger fan, I will tell Raiders fans how ridiculous they are.”
Some fans also might be disappointed to hear that Spurlock has decided to leave much of the boys' romantic life out of the film. When asked, Spurlock said that it was a personal choice and lined up with the kind of film he wanted to make. "When it came down to their personal relationships, I said we shouldn't put their relationships with girlfriends in there, because they are 19 to 21 years old. What if one of them breaks up with a girlfriend in the middle of my story? Suddenly, I've got a hole that I can't even wrap up. I can't even close that door, so I chose not to put those relationships in there." Spurlock then gives some insight into what he thinks the true nature of the story is courtesy of One Direction band member Liam Payne, "What Liam talks about in the film, to me, is the much better story to tell about their relationship. Liam says, 'I want somebody to love me for me. I want somebody to love me for who I am, not all of this.' These guys are multimillionaire, world famous pop-stars. The better story for me is, 'How do I find somebody who loves me as a normal person? Not this guy that you see in the media or you see in this film.' That's the story. The better story is, how do you find valuable relationships with people who trust you?"
It's an odd thing to search for authenticity in something like a 3D concert movie. The very idea of a concert movie, and one 3D is the very definition of glitzy overproduction, but Spurlock sought to pair intimacy with spectacle outside of the concert scenes. He's taking an auteur's approach to the pop star concert film, and he's hoping to show the humanity within the spectacle.
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20th Century Fox
Our day just got a little bit brighter.
After being treated to a quirky delight of a trailer last month, we get yet another taste of The Secret life of Walter Mitty by way of an official poster that’s just as satisfying. In the upcoming film based on a short story by James Thurber, Ben Stiller plays Walter Mitty, an office drone with his head in the clouds. Mitty lives out various adventures through his frequent daydreams but has to leave his dreams behind once adventure beckons in the real world. Joining Stiller are Patton Oswalt, Kristen Wiig, Adam Scott, and Sean Penn.
The poster showcases Walter, briefcase in tow, running through a sun-soaked skyline, no doubt racing to his next big imaginary adventure. The film looks like the perfect injection of whimsy for a work weary world. Since Ben is doing all the heavy lifting for this project (directing, producing, and starring in the film) he might want to take a break and do some daydreaming himself after the movie comes out.
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BBC America
Britain's finest export, Idris Elba, is set to hit theaters wearing a familiar grey overcoat.
Even though we haven't had the pleasure of enjoying the third season of Luther in the states yet, a film featuring the hard-nosed cop is is already on its way. Writer and show creator Neil Cross told The Mirror that he has written a script for a Luther movie. The film will serve as a prequel to the critically acclaimed BBC series. At the Edinburugh TV Festival, Cross said, "Idris is a brilliant leading man and we've hoped to turn Luther into a movie for a long time. It will follow his career in the earlier days, when he is still married to Zoe, and the final scene in the film is the first of the initial TV series."
The gritty crime drama has just wrapped up its third season in the U.K., and the show has enjoyed loads of success not only in Britain but across the pond in America as well. Making the Luther film a prequel rather than a sequel also opens up the possibility for old characters, deceased or otherwise, to join the detective for one more case. Which dearly departed character will we get to see in action, and will we get more insight into what makes the disgruntled cop tick?
The third and final season of Luther premieres on Tuesday, Septermber 3 on BBC America.
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The trailer for We Are What We Are is just dripping with gothic imagery. It looks like the sort of film that riles up the senses and lets the tension scare you rather than relying on the blood splatter. The trailer is filled with stern glances, overly formal dinner scenes, and a lot of creepy prayer. Something foul is definitely going on with this family.
In this remake of a 2010 Mexican film, the Catskills take the place of Mexico. During a stormy day, when the matriarch of a family dies due to a sudden illness, it's up to her husband and two children to carry on some secret family "traditions." Whatever these traditions may be, they probably have something to do with the human remains washing up on the riverbanks and the town's long list of missing persons dating back 20 years.
The setting of the film looks to be a town with a deep history filled with secrets. One that isn't exactly friendly to curious eyes and ears. If the trailer is any indication, We Are What We Are looks like the type of slow burning creepy horror film for the festival crowd. It's atmospheric and moody, and the eerie music builds until a final scene at the dinner table. I wonder what's being served?
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British model-turned-reality TV star Katie Price has given birth to her fourth child. Jett Riviera was born last week (begs12Aug13) eight weeks premature and was delivered via Caesarean section after Price developed a dangerous infection while on vacation abroad.
The 35 year old and her husband Kieran Hayler are currently waiting to take the baby home as he remains under doctors' care.
Price, previously known as Jordan, released a statement via her Twitter.com account on Sunday (18Aug13), which reads, "Many thanks for all your kind words of support and congratulations. Kieran and myself are so happy with our baby Jett. We look forward to coming home when allowed and introducing him to our families."
Price is already mum to Junior, eight and six year old Princess from her marriage to Australian singer Peter Andre. She is also mum to Harvey, 11, from a previous relationship.

Veteran rocker Sammy Hagar has given away more than 10,000 tickets to his upcoming concert in St. Louis, Missouri in exchange for fans' charity donations. The former Van Halen star invited devotees to offer up what they could to local organisations such as the St. Louis Area Foodbank or the Ranken Jordan Pediatric Speciality Hospital, and they have been rewarded for their efforts with seats at his 31 August (13) gig at the city's Verizon Wireless Amphitheater.
He tells Billboard.com, "You could pay $4 for those tickets or $4,000. You picked where you wanted the money to go out of the four charities. We thought it would take a couple weeks to sell out, but the 10,000 seats sold out in about 20 minutes."
Hagar has also been showing off his personal generosity while on the road by handing over $2,500 (£1,667) to local food banks on every stop of his North American Four Decades of Rock tour, because his mother used to rely on help from such organisations when he was a kid.
He says, "My mum was always half on welfare or food stamps and would get in line during Thanksgiving or Christmas when people were giving away free turkeys. I grew up like that, and remembered how it made a big difference in our life."

Jewish rapper Matisyahu, rocker Travis Barker and pop star Ariana Grande have teamed up for an unlikely collaboration as part of U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama's ongoing campaign to promote healthy living. The three artists have recorded a track titled U R What You Eat (Salad Bar) for a new hip-hop inspired album, Songs for a Healthier America, which was put together by officials at Obama's Partnership for a Healthier America organisation and the Hip Hop Public Health group.
Other tunes on the project bring together Ashanti, Gerry Gunn, Artie Green and Robbie Nova, while Shayna Steele, Jeremy Jordan, Our Time Theater kids and Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band guitarist Nils Lofgren have joined forces for another song.
Executives at Obama's Let's Move! campaign, which aims to fight obesity and promote fitness among kids, hope the message to lead healthier lives reaches children via the music.
Sam Kass, executive director of Let's Move! and White House assistant chef, says, "Cultural leaders and visionaries in our country can give these messages to kids in a way that's not preachy. Kids are going to be dancing and listening to the music. I think hip-hop in particular - so many kids love hip-hop. It's such a core part of our culture... and particularly in the African-American community and the Latino community, which is being disproportionately affected by those health issues."
Jordin Sparks and hip-hop icon Doug E. Fresh are also among the artists featured on the album - their duet Everybody was released earlier this year (13).
The Let's Move! campaign was launched in 2010 and featured a video from Beyonce, who reworked her song Get Me Bodied and renamed it Move Your Body for the Let's Move! Flash Workout initiative.

Britney Spears' ex-husband Kevin Federline is a married man again after exchanging vows with his longtime girlfriend. Federline wed the pop superstar in 2004 and fathered her two sons before their split two years later (06), and he has now put the union behind him by making his relationship with Victoria Prince official.
The couple married in Las Vegas on Saturday (10Aug13), according to E! News.
The former back-up dancer began dating Prince in 2008 and they are parents to one-year-old daughter Jordan Kay.

Justin Bieber has fallen foul of music critics who have branded his performance in New Jersey on Wednesday (31Jul13) "sluggish", "bored" and "lazy" and accused him of lip-syncing large portions of the show. The teenage superstar took to the stage at the Prudential Center in Newark as part of his ongoing Believe world tour, but his lacklustre performance prompted criticism from reviewers in the audience.
Mesfin Fekadu of the Associated Press has written a scathing report about Bieber's show, insisting the singer was "not in pop star form", while also accusing him of lip-syncing most of his songs and failing to keep up with his dancers.
He writes, "He seemed to be lip-syncing and his sluggish, lazy dancing didn't match the oomph of the beats... Bieber phoned in a good amount during his show; at some moments, he even appeared bored. He was clocking in - another day, another sold-out concert... When performing the hit Beauty and a Beat, he couldn't keep up with his background dancers.
"He was lip-syncing again... During She Don't Like the Lights, Bieber barely moved to the track's futuristic beat (maybe it was the leather tights?)."
Chris Jordan of local newspaper the Asbury Park Press was also disappointed with the 19 year old's performance, insisting the star did not deliver during the few moments of the show when he actually attempted to sing.
He writes, "As for Bieber the performer, well, there's not a whole lot to believe in. His voice is thin and reedy... Unfortunately, his dancing isn't any better than his singing. His turns are loose and his body control is sloppy. He seemed divided as to whether he should join his team of dancers full force or just let them do most of the work."

Almost 240 years back, we decided that this bear-infested hunk of rock upon which the Pilgrims landed their floral cruiseships was, in a word, better. Better than the tyrannical monarchy from which our fathers sprung. Better than the compartmentalized jungle of kingships jutting out from Asia's left cheek. Yes, we insisted. America is the best. But Hollywood doesn't seem to foster the same state of mind. In its perpetual quest to earn a bigger buck, the film industry has taken to extending its family franchises with sequel flicks, always opting to one-up its originals in the later entries. But how do you do better than the stories delivered in The Smurfs, Cars, Garfield, The Muppet Movie, and Cheetah Girls? Simple: take 'em to Europe.
Yes. For some reason, Hollywood thinks the best way to go about churning out a superior follow-up feature is by sending a movie's characters across the pond to that land rich in art history and sex trafficking: Europe. In just about every sequel lately, families, animals, sentient mechanical beings, and the odd hybrid of cheetah and human tween are high tailing it to England, France, Italy, or one of the continent's other formidable metropolitan areas. The Smurfs 2 continues this trend with a trip to Paris, joining a long line of series that go abroad for their second terms...
CARS 2Visits: Paris, France. Italy.
THE CHEETAH GIRLS 2Visits: Spain.
DEUCE BIGALOW: EUROPEAN GIGOLOVisits: Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
GARFIELD: A TALE OF TWO KITTIES Visits: London, England.
THE GREAT MUPPET CAPERVisits: London, England.
THE FRENCH CONNECTION II Visits: Marseille
hAROLD AND KUMAR ESCAPE FROM GUANTANAMO BAYVisits: Amsterdam, The Netherlands... briefly.
MADAGASCAR 3: EUROPE'S MOST WANTEDVisits: Monte Carlo, Monaco.
NATIONAL LAMPOON'S EUROPEAN VACATION Visits: London, England. Paris, France. Bavaria, Germany. Rome, Italy.
POCAHONTAS II: JOURNEY TO A NEW WORLDVisits: England.
THE PRINCESS DIARIES 2: ROYAL ENGAGEMENTVisits: The fictional Mediterranean country of Genovia.
RUGRATS IN PARISVisits: Paris, France.
So what can we conclude from this? Is the film industry secretly manufactured by Europhiles who wish to hypnotize the masses into pledging allegiance once again to the Motherland? Is it a capitalistic ploy by foreign nations to earn tourism dollars by illustrating the glories of overseas travel? Or is it just an easy excuse for a sequel: "It's different! They're in Prague now!" We may never know. But we'll keep watching to find out. And also because, hey, a movie's a movie.
Follow Michael Arbeiter on Twitter @MichaelArbeiter | Follow hollywood.com on Twitter @hollywood_com
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Summary

A ubiquitous character actor small in stature (4'11") but large on chreating characters with eccentric personality quirks, Leslie Jordan is best known for his TV guest spots, typically playing unforgettably Southern characters with an over-the-top fey demeanor. The Tennessee native has had a prolific career as both an actor and writer, arriving in Hollywood in 1982 and got his first major notices when he played the Tammy Wynette-fixated drag queen in Del Shores' hit play "Sordid Lives" and went on to star in the film adaptation of that play. He also won virtually every Los Angeles-area award for best supporting actor gives in theatre for his portrayal of Peanut Leroy, the sodden, aging homosexual in the runaway hit "Southern Baptist Sissies."